


Timers

by Hepburn_Junkie22



Category: Major Crimes (TV), The Closer
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 03:00:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7387843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hepburn_Junkie22/pseuds/Hepburn_Junkie22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: "Everyone has soulmate timers that they were given when they were born. But Brenda and Sharon's timers don't go off the first time they meet. Their timers go off when Brenda decided to stay in LA instead of moving to DC."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Timers

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt I received on Tumblr from the lovely @missatlantaanddarthraydor. I was really excited to tackle this because it spoke to my scifi roots and provided me with a little more leeway than my normal prompts. I took a few liberties but overall this might be one of my favorites stories I've written, and I hope you enjoy it as well :)
> 
> Disclaimer: The characters and their respective shows are not mine, only the situations they find themselves in are of my own creation.

            They called them timers, although why they did was beyond Sharon. It wasn’t as if it was a hardware you wore on the outside of your body or an implant under your skin. It was simply a shift in perspective; the world and those around you became more pronounced, their voices and sounds more melodic. You became linked with the other person, your life signs and their own becoming one. A sense of euphoria that couldn’t be compared to anything, except maybe the birth of her children Sharon supposed.

            It was something she had never experienced before, and quite frankly she wasn’t sure she ever would. It was a rarity, an urban legend that everyone spoke about, someone knew someone who knew someone it had happened to, but more often than not you could go an entire lifetime without it. Something that was more common hundreds of years ago when the population wasn’t as dense; there was a want to find the right person.

            When she had met Jack, she had hoped the shift would happen, that her world would be turned upside down in the ‘good’ way. Yet to her disappointment, nothing occurred, but she kept hooping and waiting for some sort of a sign. She did love him and she hoped that it was enough; she had been sorely disappointed.

            Over the next decade or so, between her and Jack’s estrangement, her children, her job, and then their divorce, she had stopped looking for that person. She had wasted so much time hoping for something that had never seemed to happen. That was why she delayed the divorce as long as she did; maybe Jack truly was her soul mate but she hadn’t recognized it yet. All the years of waiting and hoping finally took a toll and she knew it was indeed time for them to go their separate ways.

            She hoped that she would finally meet some one who set off her timer, someone who was indeed her other half. As the years drug on she began to forget and suddenly it wasn’t as important as it once was. It was no longer about love or even companionship, all Sharon wanted was someone who was willing to commit and listen. Most of the time she didn’t have the energy to try and get close to someone new…why would she when it wouldn’t be worth it in the end?

            It was just some silly, overly romantic notion that no longer had any standing in society. Something akin to dragons and fairytales that graced the pages of the books Emily loved as a little girl. She wished she wasn’t so sentimental, that she could rationalize and convince herself that it was just a stupid myth, nothing more and nothing less.

            Then came Detective Gabriel’s OIS case and the blonde Southern Chief that had gone toe-to-toe with her. There was something about her that kept pulling at the back of the Captain’s mind, but Sharon could never quite figure out what it was. Something in her garish pastels and floral prints that intrigued Sharon, something in the way she approached everything. It made Sharon want to get to know Brenda better, more of a need the more she thought about it. There was something pulling her, connecting her to the Chief in some way, she needed Sharon’s protection and no matter how badly she aggravated her, the brunette needed to keep her safe.

            By the time Sharon realized what she was experiencing was burgeoning feelings for the blonde; she had also learned that the other woman was happily married.

            Sharon had been devastated.  

            Yet she couldn’t let go of the connection between them, no matter how hard she tried to forget, it was always there at the forefront of her mind. She continued to be there for Brenda, helping the blonde fight her battles whether they were due to a questionable interrogation or even when Goldman had filed his grievances. At one point it seemed as if Sharon was the only one in Brenda’s corner, she seemed to be all-alone.

            The Turell Baylor case had strengthened their bond considerably, or at least garnered Sharon a grudging respect from the Deputy Chief. She looked to the older woman for guidance, and even became more open with her. She sought Sharon out, needing to bounce ideas off her or even just to be reassured that she was indeed doing the right thing. This gave Sharon hope for their relationship and maybe even a sense of false security.

            Then things had spiraled out of control…starting with Sharon’s ordered audit into the inner workings of Brenda’s division and even at some points questioning her conduct. It had been tense, and the Captain had dreaded getting up to go to work almost everyday. She was essentially playing babysitter to grown adults, even after she had completed a favorable report. She and Brenda could barely stand to be in the same room, and frankly Sharon couldn’t blame her…she had no idea that Captain was ordered to do what she was doing. If only the Chief knew that Sharon hated it as much as the blonde did.

            Then came the death of Brenda’s mother, and the Phillip Stroh case, two things that sealed the deal on her retirement from the LAPD. No matter how much she knew, logically, that it wasn’t her fault Sharon couldn’t help but blame herself. She grieved for the lost chances, not only for herself but the good people of Los Angeles; they had lost a genuine treasure in their fight against crime. She herself had lost one of the closest friends she had made in years. Brenda hadn’t even bothered to tell Sharon to her face that she wanted her to take over Major Crimes. Sharon had read it all in a note given to her from Chief Taylor.

            The first few months were rough, navigating not only a new crew to work with, but also the recalcitrant teenager now inhabiting her home. Sharon Raydor prided herself with being able to work in many different situations; her ability to ignore the hatred directed her way was one of her strongest characteristics. She kept her head down, only engaging with the anger from her new Lieutenants when it bordered on insubordination, most other things she could ignore.

            She had been head of Major Crimes for about three months before she received the first note. It was a Friday morning, early as no one else was in the Murder Room yet, but as she opened her door Sharon paused. There, stuck to the corner of her desk phone, was the note in question. If you were looking at her desk, you would think it was just another sticky note she had placed there, a reminder of an appointment.

            Although, Sharon knew better…this was a pale green where the ones she used were bright yellow, easy enough for her to spot the difference. It was also the precise and small script that caught her eye, she’d seen it enough on reports that had passed over her desk in IA.

            **_I believe in you Sharon, even if you don_** ** _’t_** ** _yet._**

            The Captain sucked in a breath, realizing she was correct in her assumption of who had given her the note. Then she began to wonder when exactly the former Chief had time to place it there, how had she missed her? Sharon hummed quietly to herself and placed the note in the top drawer of her desk, it seemed fitting considering it was once Brenda’s candy haven.

            The notes didn’t show up every week or even every month, but when they did it was on random days. The more Sharon thought about it, the more she decided that maybe they weren’t random at all. Somehow on days when Sharon needed encouraging words the most; there was one on the day Daniel Dunn signed over parental rights to Rusty. Another on the day Kris exposed Rusty’s letters to DDA Rios…another on the day he was removed from Sharon’s custody. Somehow Brenda always knew.

            The day that Fritz had informed that Brenda was considering a job in Washington DC, Sharon’s heart sank. It was selfish of her to think she had any sort of claim to the younger woman, but she couldn’t help but feel she was being left behind again. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough to face it another time…she was hurt because she had once again been told something important regarding their relationship through a third party.

            She sat in her chair, face away from her desk, staring through the window at the dark Los Angeles landscape. She had been in deep contemplation for the last few hours, not wishing to be disturbed. A soft knock on the door made her tilt her head slightly, just enough to see Lieutenant Provenza in her doorway.

            He cleared his throat, “Captain, we are all heading home for the night…well actually heading to Malone’s for a round or two, and then home.”

            She nodded her head absentmindedly, her gaze already returning to the window.

            “You should join us,” he continued, “its not the same without you.”

            She sighed softly, “Thank you, but I’m afraid I’ll take a rain check.”

            Provenza was smart enough to know a dismissal when he hears one. Straightening his tie out of habit he nodded his head and closed her door…a faint ‘ _Goodnight Captain,_ ’ could be heard.

            The older woman brought her hand up to her face, gently rubbing at her forehead, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall. She knew what she felt was insane to say the least, she had no claim over Brenda…all she had was a drawer full of sticky notes, once encouraging words that seemed meaningless now. She was startled be another knock on her door, this one equally as soft. She heard the door open, a reply ready on her tongue.

            “I told you Lieutenant,” Sharon turned her chair slightly

            She stopped short when she saw who was indeed in her doorway. There, silhouetted the by the bright light of the Murder Room, was the object of her thoughts. The first thing that came to mind was that Brenda looked tired, her curls limp against her shoulders and eyes dull behind her glasses. She wore a simple hoodless sweatshirt and jeans that molded to her legs, those along with ratty Chucks completed the package.

            She looked around the office nervously, unsure if her presence was wanted or not. Sharon continued to stare, her hands gripping the arms of her office chair, her knuckles white from the pressure. The other woman smiled a nervous smile.

            “Hi,” Brenda whispered.

            Sharon swallowed audibly.

            “Hi,” the older woman stuttered.

            She watched as Brenda crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her shoulders back in an attempt to relive the tension she was no doubt feeling. She cleared her throat.

            “Can I come in?” she asked, gesturing to the visitor’s chair

            The question caught her off guard; she still couldn’t believe the other woman was here. Brenda shifted her weight nervously and it was then that Sharon stood, suddenly remembering her manners. She gestured nervously toward the same chair Brenda had moments before.

            “Of course!” She could see her own hands trembling in front of her.

            When Brenda was seated, Sharon couldn’t help but let her eyes rove over the former Chief. She hadn’t physically seen her in a few years, the ache in her chest attesting to just how much the Captain had missed her.

            Brenda folded her hands neatly in her lap and the Captain could see the spot where a wedding band once sat was now bare. She could sense the tension radiating from the other woman in waves, her knuckles just as white as Sharon’s were a few minutes before.

            “I’m sorry I came by unannounced,” she refused to make eye contact with the brunette.

            Sharon waited for her to continue. She spoke when it was clear that Brenda was waiting for her to acknowledge the apology.

            “Its alright,” Sharon mumbled, then she paused, unsure if she should ask the question on the tip of her tongue.

            “How are you Brenda Leigh?”

            The younger woman chuckled slightly, a watery laugh that made Sharon swallow hard.

            “I’m ok, really,” Brenda sniffed, “I just wanted to see you.”

            The simple admission was enough to bring the tears Sharon had been desperately trying to keep at bay to her eyes. Brenda lifted her head and the Captain could see a reflection of her own face, the sorrow and the hurt. She could also see how sorry Brenda was and how she desperately needed Sharon to know that. She leaned forward across the desk, trying to close the distance between them, needing to soothe whatever the blonde was going through.

            “I just wanted you to know,” Brenda swallowed, “how thankful I am for you.”

            Sharon cocked her head to the side, not understanding where this was going.

            Brenda raised her eyes to the ceiling, willing the tears to hold for jus a little longer. She gave Sharon another watery smile, this one a little more forced.

            “You did every thing you could to help me, and I couldn’t even tell you I was leaving to your face.”

            She wiped the tears on her face on the sleeve of her sweatshirt, the wetness making the gray material dark.

            “And all I could do,” there was anger now, not at the older woman but at her self, “all I could do was write you stupid notes.”

            Sharon bristled at her tone.

            “Notes I didn’t even have the decency to deliver directly to you, I am a coward.”

            Brenda drew herself up, trying to collect her thoughts and emotions all in one. She sat back in the chair, scrutinizing Sharon, and making the other woman feel slightly self-conscious.

            “Brenda,” she began, unsure of where to begin.

            “You know the legend about our soul mates right?”

            Sharon froze, the question completely out of the blue and the former Chief’s character. Sharon’s mind began to form different scenarios and none of the outcomes seemed promising. Brenda, oblivious to the other woman’s discomfort, had picked up speed and kept talking

            “That when we find the ‘one,’ our whole perception shifts.” She chuckled, but it was a hollow sound, lacking mirth.

            “I always though it was a fantasy, something people had long ago engineered to keep the population under control, to keep us under their thumb.”

            She looked up sharply, brown connecting with green. Sharon could feel herself pale, the color draining from her face the longer Brenda looked at her. The blonde gathered the hair at the nape of her neck, lifting it to give the skin beneath the time to breathe. She took a shallow breath and continued.

            “And then I met you after the Detective Gabriel’s shootin’,” she shook her head, “and nothing was ever the same.”

            Sharon sat so still, she was afraid to move and break whatever concentration the younger woman had found. Brenda flew up from her chair and began pacing the room, her hands flying all the while. Sharon tracked her movements, barely registering the words.

            “I knew that everythin’ anybody had ever said was true, that you were what I had been lookin’ for.”

            Sharon’s eyes widened in realization and the room began to spin.

            Then Brenda stood in front of Sharon’s desk momentarily still, hands on her hips, and a look of contemplation on her face.

            “But I was married, and you obviously didn’t feel the same way…for all I knew you had found your soul mate when you married your husband.”

            Sharon sat up straight at the mention of Jack and everything began to fall into place. The distance had been a way for Brenda to keep up pretenses; she had done it to preserve their relationship. She shook her head at how much of her past that Brenda didn’t truly understand.

            “I lie awake at night thinkin’ of you,” her voice shook, “you would fill my thoughts constantly…still do.”

            The younger woman took a deep and shuddering breath, her whole body shaking with the motion; each breath more painful than the last.

            “I couldn’t stand to be around you like that, not when I couldn’t have you.”

            “Brenda…”

            “Its stupid really,” she continued, “I had hoped that there was something between us…and when I realized there couldn’t be, I tried to be your friend.”

            Sharon tried again, “Brenda…”

            “I couldn’t,” she sniffed, “the physical ache I felt when I was around you made me miserable…I did what I do best and I ran.”

            Sharon remained silent; waiting to be sure that Brenda was finished.

            Yet she continued, “I guess I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

            Her shoulders slumped slightly, her arms crossing over her chest once again. She looked at Sharon and the other woman now knew she had her chance to speak. She cleared her throat softly before she began, her eyes never leaving her companinon.

            “Did you say,” unsure she paused, “did you say that you would stay here…for me?”

            Brenda’s face was blank, devoid of emotion, while she studied Sharon. She seemed to be thinking back to what she had said, trying to mentally recall what she had meant. She seemed to reach a decision however and put on a brave face, one steeped in determination.

            “Yes,” the blonde finally conceded, “if we had a future I would stay.”

            Sharon could feel her heart beat speed up; it was beating a rhythm against her chest unlike one she had ever felt before. Her vision brightened, the colors in the room that were once muted became more pronounced. In that moment Brenda shifted in front of her eyes, becoming something more than she ever could imagine. Sharon was acutely aware of everything pertaining to the blonde, the smell of her skin and the shine in her eyes. She could feel the rhythm of the other woman’s heart as it fell into sync with her own and their breathing along with it.

            She could see the realization on Brenda’s face, the exact moment when she knew that the older woman knew what she was talking about. When she knew that Sharon felt the same way about her, the moment their timers hit zero and started anew. Both women inhaled sharply at the unique feeling, a certain clarity neither had experienced before and hopefully one that would never leave them.

            Sharon stood from the chair and came around her desk, her movements controlled, but with an underlying sense of excitement. She reached out and gently pried Brenda’s hand away from her middle, kissing the soft skin of her wrist with cautious lips. At the puff of warm breath against her skin, the younger woman gasped, a sound Sharon would never tire of hearing. Sharon lowered her hand, still clutching Brenda’s slim fingers, their warmth her anchor.

            “I’ve spent all my life looking for you,” Sharon shared hesitantly, “and I’m never going to let you go.”

            Brenda nodded her head, her eyes darting down to the other woman’s lips. That was all the invitation Sharon needed, closing the distance between their bodies, she placed a soft kiss on the blonde’s lips. She could taste chocolate and something more…a promise of what was to come.

 

 

 


End file.
